UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Non-tenure-line clinical, teaching, research and professors of practice faculty can now apply to the Opportunity Grant Professional Development Program.
Applications, which can be found here, are due Oct. 31 for funding in the 2026-27 academic year.
To be eligible, faculty must have reached second rank or higher, have worked full-time at Penn State for five consecutive years or more, and have the support of their academic unit head. The proposal should encompass activity that is above and beyond what the applicant is normally contracted to do. Course and time buyouts are available. A five-year waiting period will begin for those who receive funding. Full eligibility can be found at the Center for Faculty Development and Advancement website.
The Opportunity Grant Professional Development Program exists, in part, as a response to Faculty Senate's pursuit of professional development for non-tenure-line Faculty. This program is funded through the Office of the President and the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research.
Simon Cottart, assistant teaching professor of French, was among the first recipients of an Opportunity Grant as a part of the spring 2025 round of grants. Cottart has been exploring how artificial intelligence can support students in intermediate French develop more creative, coherent and reflective writing.
Cottart used Opportunity Grant funds to travel to Los Angeles in December 2024 and later to Paris to conduct research at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
“I focused on how humor is represented in educational contexts and how it might be intentionally incorporated into AI-driven tools,” Cottart said. “This trip introduced me to compelling studies on cross-cultural humor and computational linguistics.”
Cottart said he will focus his research on how “AI can generate personalized humor to improve student motivation and engagement, particularly in second-language learning” in the Doctor of Education program at Penn State World Campus.
Karen Stylianides, associate teaching professor of kinesiology and health and human development, also focused on incorporating technology into the classroom by acquiring virtual reality headsets and supporting equipment for use in kinesiology courses at Penn State Hazleton.
Stylianides said VR “allowed me to implement engaging, discipline-specific virtual experiences, such as lifeguard training, golf instruction, meditation sessions and simulations for racket sports. These applications enhanced student learning by providing immersive, hands-on experiences that traditional methods cannot replicate.”
She said faculty from across the University have expressed interest in her outcomes and best practices. Her involvement with the Virtual Reality Task force has grown, and she said she’s been advocating for streamlined processes for checking out and utilizing VR equipment.
“This project demonstrates how strategic investment in immersive technology can elevate student engagement, enrich faculty development and create sustainable pathways for innovative teaching practices across diverse disciplines,” she said.
The Opportunity Grant Professional Program is administered by the Center for Faculty Development and Advancement in the Office of Faculty Affairs.